Flight Attendants Share The Most Ridiculous Complaints They Get On Flights
Flight attendants are experts when it comes to dealing with passengers, and often have deal with some super annoying habits of passengers every day. You'd be amazed at the amount of knowledge flight attendants have acquired on the job and the types of things they've seen, and there are some episodes that leave even flight crew members speechless. While it is their job to provide the best customer service in the skies and help make your flight more comfortable, some passengers take things to an extreme by expecting far too much of the cabin crew. After scouring the Internet, here are some of the most ridiculous complaints that flight attendants received from passengers on their flights.
Accusing flight attendant of lying about menu
According to one gate agent on Reddit, their flight attendant friend shared a story in which a passenger on a 45-minute commuter flight ordered a sandwich and root beer. As most short domestic flights don't serve much more than a few snacks, the crew member told them that those items weren't available, giving them the menu with what was. However, the passenger persisted, accusing the flight attendant of lying, to which the flight attendant said they'd come back after helping other the row behind him. "Passenger still insisted on the sandwich and threatened to sue the airline if he didn't get one," the Reddit user shared. "The [flight attendant] repeated that we don't serve sandwiches and he eventually just gave up and glowered the rest of the flight."
Engines giving them a headache
When speaking with The Daily Mail, one flight attendant shared a story in which one passenger asked what the "whirring" sound was, complaining that it was giving them a headache. When told that it was the plane's engines, they asked that the engines be turned off.
Can’t use occupied bathroom
One flight attendant on Reddit recounted that their worst experience on the job was when a flight was just 10 minutes from landing and a passenger tried to use a bathroom that was already occupied. "I just told him there was someone already in it so you'll have to wait but please wait in your seat as we have to secure and he went off on one," they shared. "Shouting at me that it's a human right to use the toilet and it's illegal that I'm not letting him use it." The passenger became progressively more aggressive threatening to get the flight attendant fired as they had connections with the airline and telling the attendant that they were "incapable of looking after people." The passenger even refused to use the other bathroom on the plane when asked.
Plane is flying too high
Another complaint shared with The Daily Mail was a passenger request that the pilot fly the plane lower — because the passenger's wife was scared of heights. While heights and turbulence can seem quite scary, it's probably best you leave the flying to the experts and use a trick or two to calm yourself down.
Demanding a pillow before takeoff
When on a flight, it's important to know what does or doesn't constitute an emergency. Unless you or someone else's life is at risk, any requests can wait until after boarding and takeoff. One flight attendant shared a story on Reddit in which one passenger got up out of their seat right before takeoff. The flight attendant assumed it must be an emergency and stopped in the middle of their safety demo as the passenger came up to them and demanded "Get me a pillow." "Mustering all my calmness I explain to him that I can get one for him the second we get in the air as we're about to take off and the pillows are located near the [one-way] exits," they shared. "I can't just interrupt our safety checks and procedures. The passenger replied by repeating their demand even more rudely before being told to sit down.
No free alcohol
Free alcoholic drinks aren't exactly a thing with budget airlines, yet one group of women flying to Amsterdam still seemed to be taken aback when they were not provided with any. According to Cabincrew.com, the flight crew was left with a note that said "Please could you have a wider choice of free wines, particularly Champagne and cava, as this would make the journey much nicer."
Plane windows need to be opened
Some passengers don't seem to realize that plane windows can't be opened or that it's like that for a reason. One of the silliest requests reported to Cabincrew.com was when one passenger asked, "Why can't you open the window and give us some air? It's really stuffy in here."
Demanding an extra seat
Don't count on getting an extra seat, especially if you're on a flight that's full. One Reddit user recounted an episode on an intercontinental flight during which an elderly couple was seated together and the wife demanded that she be given another seat, as her husband was prone to fall asleep with his head on her shoulder. "Nobody was willing to change seats and eventually the couple got so verbally [aggressive] they had to be taken [off] the aircraft by the Dutch military police," they said. Situations like this are better handled if you're polite or if you just buy another plane ticket yourself.
Lack of cell phone service
Anyone who's flown in the digital age knows that turning off your cell phone is one of the first things your flight crew will ask of you before takeoff. One passenger seemed to have missed the memo, however, as one flight attendant told Cabincrew.com that someone on their flight complained, "Why am I getting such a poor mobile phone signal? This flight is going to be really long and I'll be bored if I can't use my smartphone."
Flight attendants are not attractive enough
One flight attendant reported to Cabincrew.com that they received a complaint from an elderly gentleman regarding their cabin crew's looks. "They were much prettier in the adverts, so the flight has not lived up to my expectations," he said. Hitting on your flight attendant is not advised, however, as it's creepy and will definitely get you on their bad side.
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